A resident holds an image of Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado during a celebration in Santiago, Chile, on Saturday, after U.S. forces seized Venezuela’s leader Nicolás Maduro.
Cristobal Olivares/Bloomberg via Getty Images
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Cristobal Olivares/Bloomberg via Getty Images
BOGOTÁ, Colombia — During the opening session of Venezuela’s National Assembly this week, opposition lawmaker Tomás Guanipa stood up to demand freedom for the country’s more than 800 political prisoners, one of whom is his brother.
His protest lasted just a few seconds until he was shouted down by pro-regime legislators.
Indeed, Venezuela’s political opposition remains largely muzzled and shut out of power. Although authoritarian leader Nicolás Maduro was seized by U.S. forces in Caracas over the weekend, his authoritarian regime remains in place. Maduro’s former vice president, Delcy Rodríguez, is now interim president.
Pro-regime figures continue to run the security forces, government ministries, statehouses and most city halls around the country. The government has decreed a 90-day state of emergency that empowers security forces to capture “any person involved in the promotion or support” of the U.S. military operation.
Just as under Maduro, there is almost no room for dissent in Venezuela. Speaking to NPR by phone from Caracas, Guanipa said: “The atmosphere is very authoritarian.”
The sudden turn of events has left the country’s opposition activists — most of whom are in hiding or in exile — frustrated and confused about what to do next.
Opposition leader and Nobel Peace Prize recipient María Corina Machado has been effectively sidelined by President Trump, who has chosen to work — for now — with interim President Rodríguez. But over the past 13 years, Rodríguez fully supported Maduro as he jailed opponents, crushed protests and rigged elections.
Nobel Peace Prize laureate María Corina Machado speaks during a news conference at the government’s representative facilities in Oslo, Norway, Dec. 11, 2025.
On January 11, 2025, Stian Lysberg Solum/NTB Scanpix captured an image during a news conference where Trump made no mention of restoring Venezuela’s democracy. A Machado-backed opposition candidate appeared to have won the 2024 presidential election by a landslide before it was stolen by Maduro. The threat of being thrown out by democracy looms over the regime in Venezuela, as stated by an activist who fled the country. There is hope that Trump’s mention of potential military intervention could lead to free elections and pressure the regime into change. The possibility of Delcy Rodriguez taking over as interim president raises concerns about the lack of new elections, sparking speculation about her intentions to hold onto power. The opposition remains optimistic about winning future elections with overwhelming support. Despite challenges and security risks, key figures like Maria Corina Machado are determined to return and continue the fight for democracy. However, internal rivalries within the opposition pose obstacles to unity and progress. The differing approaches to regime change and past decisions continue to divide the opposition, hindering their efforts to come together. Despite these challenges, there are ongoing efforts to unite opposition forces and work towards a common goal. sentence: The cat is sleeping peacefully on the windowsill.
Rewritten: Peacefully sleeping on the windowsill is the cat.
